Elizabeth Millwee, CPPO, CPPB, NIGP-CPP

Elizabeth Millwee, MBA, CPPO, CPPB, NIGP-CPP, is the Purchasing Manager for the City of Santa Cruz, leading a team responsible for issuing solicitations, managing city-wide contracts, overseeing the city’s credit card program, and providing procurement training. In 2024, she achieved a significant milestone by guiding her team to secure the city’s first Achievement of Excellence in Procurement (AEP) Award. Within the last three years, her team has also spearheaded four major initiatives including launching a citywide Amazon account for informal purchases, introducing an electronic PO carryforward process, implementing the eProcurement system OpenGov, and hosting the city’s first virtual vendor open house. Before her current role, Elizabeth served as a Supervising Program Administrator at Valley Water, where she managed procurement for California’s largest multi-purpose water supply and flood management district, successfully launching the PlanetBids eProcurement system and an ERP system. In a prior stint with the City of Santa Cruz in 2018, she was selected by the Finance Director to close a $5 million budget gap, earning the city the 2018 Innovation Award from the California Society of Municipal Finance Officials (CSMFO). Elizabeth also has experience in procurement and product management in the consumer electronics industry. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from James Madison University and an MBA from the University of Central Oklahoma. She is a Certified Public Procurement Officer (UPPCC), a Certified Professional Public Buyer (UPPCC), and a Certified Public Procurement Professional (NIGP).